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. 2020 Jun 1;4(2):30.
doi: 10.3390/vision4020030.

Perspective-Taking: In Search of a Theory

Geoff G Cole  1 , Abbie C Millett  2 , Steven Samuel  1 , Madeline J Eacott  1
Affiliations

Perspective-Taking: In Search of a Theory

Geoff G Cole et al. Vision (Basel). .

Abstract

Perspective-taking has been one of the central concerns of work on social attention and developmental psychology for the past 60 years. Despite its prominence, there is no formal description of what it means to represent another's viewpoint. The present article argues that such a description is now required in the form of theory-a theory that should address a number of issues that are central to the notion of assuming another's viewpoint. After suggesting that the mental imagery debate provides a good framework for understanding some of the issues and problems surrounding perspective-taking, we set out nine points that we believe any theory of perspective-taking should consider.

Keywords: gaze cueing; mental imagery; perspective-taking; social attention; vision.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A test of visual perspective taking (a,b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Since the agent is not looking at the critical stimulus, any effect caused by her presence cannot be due to the computation of her “perspective”.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Attention and perspective-taking (A–F).
Figure 4
Figure 4
View of the stimuli as actually seen by participants.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The Venus effect.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The relationships between agent, model, and stimulus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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